Second Chances
by ThisLadyWrites
Summary: An important event in Sharon and Andy's life is about to take place but not everyone seems to be enthusiastic about it
1. Chapter 1

**Hey there!**

 **This story consists of 3 parts. Here's the first one!**

 **Enjoy!**

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The condo was dark when she walked in. It was strange as Andy had left the PAB at least an hour ago to get a head start on dinner, yet there was no sight of him. They didn't often get the chance to cook and usually ended up picking up something on the way home or ordering in. However, they tried to have homemade dinner as often as they could manage.

Sharon switched on the lights, got rid of her shoes and dropped her purse on the couch. It was only now that she noticed that the door to the balcony was ajar. It wasn't unusual for him to be out there. She often found him sitting outside reading or napping. This time, however, she had expected to find him in the kitchen, preparing his infamous grilled chicken. Instead the chicken sat on the kitchen counter, uncooked. Next to it a paper bag of equally uncooked potatoes.

Something was off.

She slid open the balcony door and stepped into the night. It was somewhat cold for mid August. She'd need a sweater if she was going to stay out here for longer.

"Hi." She said, her voice soft and quiet.

It was only now that he noticed her presence. "Oh... Hi. I didn't hear you come home."

Neither had he noticed that she had switched on the lights in the living room. It was rather strange. He usually was very attentive, very vigilant, just like she herself was. They were both cops after all. Being observant was part of their nature.

"I thought you wanted to make dinner?" It was not a reproach. She was just trying to figure out what was going on. Tentatively and slowly, without pushing him.

"Oh shit! I completely forgot... Sorry."

"That's ok. We'll order something in and save the chicken for tomorrow."

He nodded and for a moment there was silence. He knew she was waiting for him to share what had him sit out here all lost in thought. She would ask him eventually but she always liked to give him the opportunity to be the one to bring it up first. He appreciated that.

"Danny called," he said.

It was generally good news when his son called. It didn't happen all too often, so when it did Andy was usually delighted about it, ecstatic really. Not this time though. "He won't make it to the ceremony."

"Oh." Sharon honestly had not expected that. Andy and Daniel still had many things to sort out but their relationship had gotten better in the past two years. They hadn't exactly reconnected but they were getting there. At least that's what she had thought.

"He said he has some important work thing."

Sharon sat down on the porch swing next to him, her hand reaching for his.

"We both know that's just an excuse." Andy continued.

"I'm sorry." She whispered as she leaned against his side, her chin came to rest on his shoulder.

"Me too."

"Maybe you should go see him, talk to him in person."

"I don't want to corner him ... or pressure him into anything. It's fine. He doesn't wanna come. That's ok. I have to respect his choice."

"You know... we can always postpone the wedding. It will give you some more time to talk to Daniel, to make ..."

"No." He cut her off, sounding definite, determined. "Absolutely not! I have done everything I can to show him that I'm a different person now, that I have been for a long time. I admitted I made mistakes, big mistakes. I apologized. Over and over again. There is nothing more that I can do. This wedding will happen exactly as planned, whether he'll be there or not."

It hurt that his own son did not want to be part of this wedding, it hurt that he still mistrusted him, that he still didn't seem to believe he has changed. But Andy was not going to put his life on hold just because Danny still was unwilling to give him a second chance. He was not going to postpone this wedding; he was not willing to wait any longer to marry Sharon. He was not in his twenties anymore, he wasn't in his forties either, he had no time to lose.

"Are you absolutely certain? I would understand it if you wanted to postpone. Really. I know I would if any of my kids couldn't attend."

"Danny does not want to be there. That's different. Your kids adore you, they wouldn't miss your wedding for the world."

"Daniel loves you just as much, you know that. He's just incredibly stubborn. Even more so than you are. And believe me, that's quite an achievement."

Andy snort-laughed. She always managed to get him to crack a smile, no matter how down he felt or how foul his mood was. It was one of the many things he loved about her. "My son the over-achiever." He chuckled once more before he turned to look at her. "But seriously Sharon. I don't want to wait." He squeezed her hand, tracing the ring he had slid onto her finger a few months ago. "I'm done postponing things. I'm too damn old for that. We both are."

"Speak for yourself." She teased, knowing very well what he meant. They had wasted so many years with partners that were wrong for them. Afterwards they had spent an even longer time alone, perfectly content to be by themselves, not needing nor wanting anyone by their side permanently. But then they had found each other. They had become friends and then, seemingly out of nowhere, they had fallen in love. Slowly, almost inconspicuously. And suddenly they had felt incomplete without the other. That's what he had told her when he had proposed to her, that he did not feel like himself without her. That he loved her and that he wanted to be her husband, her friend, her confidant. She had not at all realized how much she had wanted all of this too until the moment he had sunk down on one knee in front of her. He had asked her to spend the rest of her life with him. She had been completely overwhelmed. Mainly in a good way. She was terrified too, her experience had thought her to be, but she knew she had to just have faith in him and to trust him. Andy was more than worth it. So she had said yes, knowing that this was what she wanted too, despite being scared. And now she wanted the rest of her life to start as soon as possible. So, no, she did not actually want to postpone the wedding but she would, for Andy's children, like she would for her own.

"I get it Andy, I do. I don't want to postpone it either but I also want all of our kids to be there. I want you to look back on this day and remember being surrounded by your family."

"I will be. We'll both be surrounded by our families. Yes, mine might be incomplete but it won't change how special that day will be." He turned his head to press a kiss into her hair.

"Okay." She sighed, not happy with the solution but ready to let it go. For now at least.

"Where do you wanna order?" He then asked, changing the subject. He did not want to talk about it any longer, it would just upset them both.

"Luigi's."

"Penne Napolitana?"

She nodded into his shoulder. "With an extra serving of parmesan and an insalata mista."

He reached for the phone on the small table next to him and ordered the food. He made sure to get Sharon's favorite desert as well. Ever since he had been forced to change his diet to a healthier one she had stopped ordering dessert too. And while he appreciated her support he did not want her to abstain from something as delicious as Italian lemon cake rolls. It was enough that he had to suffer.

Usually she complained when he went ahead and ordered her something sweet, tonight though she just pressed a kiss to his lips and smiled. Yes, she really did love him.

TBC

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 **Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think :)**

 **Thanks for all your wonderful messages! I have not given up on "Occasionally". It's all the weather's fault xD The heat is making me lazy ;) In my head though I have already another chapter written. And I'm also working on a pre MC, pre The Closer Shandy fanfic.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much for all your lovely reviews! They made me smile!**

 **Here is part 2!**

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She had to postpone her trip to San Diego twice before she finally made the drive down to the southern city. They had been working a complex case and it had simply been impossible for her to get away. The case wasn't closed yet but they finally had found a lead they could follow. She had left Provenza in charge, trusting him to question the witnesses and not to set her division on fire.

She had told Andy she had taken the afternoon off to meet Ricky. His company had a big project going on in Oxnard and her son was there for a week to supervise the process. It was rather hard to tell Andy a white lie, he usually saw right through her. It also didn't help that he knew that she'd try to postpone most of her personal appointments whenever they were working a case, so the only thing that she could tell him that he'd even remotely believe is that she was off to an appointment that involves one of her children. Ricky's current proximity to LA was very convenient for her plan so she told Andy that her son had invited her for late lunch and she wanted to go because she missed him.

It wasn't even that much of a lie, really. She might not go to Oxnard to meet Ricky but she was hopefully gonna meet another young man, here in San Diego.

Sharon looked at the yellow bungalow in front of her. It was small but seemed very cozy. Perfect for a young couple. She noticed that she was a little nervous as she rang the bell. Only a few moments later the door opened and she was facing no one other than Daniel Flynn. The many photos she had seen of him were not lying, he was the spitting imagine of his father.

"Hello Daniel."

"Hello?" He looked at her questioningly, not really knowing what was going on. It wasn't surprising though. After all, he had never met her.

"I'm Sharon Raydor, your father's-"

"Girlfriend" he cut her off, suddenly sounding rather unfriendly. "I know who you are."

He was unwelcoming and defensive. She had expected that. "I'm his fiancée." She clarified in her usual calm but firm voice.

"What are you doing here?"

"I would like to talk to you. About your father." Getting straight the the point was the only way to go. In this particular case starting with small talk and slowly working her way up to the issue she actually came to talk about would most probably not work in her favor.

Daniel snorted a laugh that sounded somewhat indignant. Who did the woman think she was!? He doesn't even know her. Did she honestly think he'd talk to her about the issues he had with his father?

"I'm sorry for just dropping by without any prior notice," She said, remaining calm. "but I thought this was the best and most effective way to do this."

"Does my father know you are here?"

"Not yet."

"Ok. Listen Sharon, I don't want to talk about whatever you wanna talk about. Not with him and certainly not with you. I don't even know you!"

For a moment she had a hard time stopping herself from smiling. They way he talked, they way he moved and even how he breathed was so very much like his father. It warmed her heart. "I'm aware of that. I'm not here to have a heart to heart with you, Daniel."

"So why are you here?"

"I'd like to ask you a favor."

"And what is that?" He grumbled as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Would you mind if I came in and we sat down for a moment?" She might be pushing it now, but she really did not want to have this conversation here at his front porch.

He hesitated, unsure of what to do. In the end, though, his curiosity won. He stepped to the side to make room for her to enter the house. He led her to the den where he offered her to sit on the couch. He dropped down on the love seat opposite to her. "So? What's the favor?" He was pretty sure he already knew what she wanted from him.

"I'd like to ask you to reconsider your choice not to attend the wedding."

Daniel sighed, clearly annoyed. "As I already told my father: I'm working this weekend. I'm doing a photo shoot. And there's no pictures when the photographer isn't there to take em."

"Reschedule it."

He laughed. "Are you serious right now!?"

"Daniel I know it has been difficult for you and Nicole. Your father wasn't always around when he should have been. He made mistakes, he disappointed you, he hurt you. But for almost twenty years now he is not that reckless man anymore."

"I thought we were not gonna have a heart to heart."

"We are not. I'm just sharing my thoughts about your father, Daniel."

"I'm not interested in hearing them."

"That's tough luck because I'm going to voice them anyway." The time for being nice and understanding was over. Daniel needed some tough love, just like her own kids still sometimes did. She was aware that it wasn't really her place to get involved and she certainly wouldn't if it wasn't for the wedding. "There is no excuse for what your father did but don't you think it's time to move on and to at least give him the chance to show you that he is not that same person anymore that he used to be all those years ago?"

He ignored what she said completely, instead he asked: "Wasn't your first husband a drunk too? Didn't he abandon you? I don't get why you'd want to to take that risk again."

She could tell that he wanted to provoke her, hurt her. Sharon, however, wasn't very impressed by that. And neither was she surprised that he knew about Jack and his drinking. After all Nicole knew all about it and it was only normal that she had shared this information with her brother. It wasn't exactly a secret anyway. Jack had never been a discreet drinker. In the past he had created several scenes in public, embarrassing not only himself but also her on more than one occasion. "Yes, my ex husband is an alcoholic. And because one addiction wasn't enough for him he got himself a gambling problem too. He never really tried to stop, he never tried to make amends with his children either. He always claims he loves them but he was never around. Not for graduation, not for dance recitals, not when they were sick. He usually only calls them when he needs a place to stay or money to pay off his debts. Your father and my ex husband couldn't be any more different, they might have a similar past but that's where the comparison ends. Your father managed to pull himself out of this vicious circle. I'm very proud of him."

"How do you know he wont fall back into old pattern?"

Sharon wasn't sure whether he asked because he was hoping for an actual answer or because he just wanted to point out that there was no guarantee, and never would be, that Andy will remain sober for the rest of his life.

"I don't. But I have faith in him. He is sober for over twenty years now, he has found other, more healthy, copying mechanisms for difficult situations in life. Everyone can fall off the wagon at any time but just because it could happen doesn't mean we should believe it will."

"There really is no use in having too much faith in an addict. You are just setting yourself up for disappointment."

"Some people are worth the risk."

"I'm not sure about that."

"Then maybe you should think about it again."

"I've thought about it plenty of times, believe me. He and I, we just don't work. We don't get along."

"Have you ever tried to get along with him? Have you ever really looked at him and consciously observed how much he has changed?"

"Do you honestly think that after all these years of silence and anger it will be you who'll fix our relationship?"

"You two are the only ones who can fix what's broken. I'm only here to ask you to give your father a fair chance, to give him the opportunity to show you who he is now."

"I know who he is."

"I don't think you do." Sharon said as she got up from the couch. She pulled an envelope with another copy of the wedding invitation out of her purse and sat it on the coffee table. "If you want to get to know the person he is now join us for the ceremony."

She walked towards the door leading to the corridor. Before she crossed the threshold she turned to look at him once more. "We'd be delighted to have you there."

Daniel watched her disappear into the hallway. When he heard the front door fall into the lock he let out an annoyed groan. Oh this woman was infuriating! Nicole had told him that Sharon Raydor was the kindest, most generous and most kick ass woman she knew. He had never quite understood how all these characteristics should fit together, now he did. Though, if someone asked him what Sharon was like he'd definitely add infuriating to her description.

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 **Thanks for reading! Have a fantastic day you all :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Your feedback is like popcorn with butter: it makes me happy :D Thanks so much to everyone who left a comment.**

 **Here is the last chapter!**

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"I really don't understand why it's okay for you to see me in my tux when I'm not allowed to see you in your dress." Andy said as he put his tie around the collar of his shirt.

"It's tradition." She smiled at him as she grabbed the purple piece of fabric and started to tie it. It was something that kind of had become her task over the last few months. She had always liked to play with his ties, it seemed almost natural to them that she had taken over the job of tying them for him once they had moved in together. When she did so he would usually rest his hands on her hips and just watch her face while her fingers worked on the item of clothing. Often he would pull her so close that she had trouble attending to her task due to the lack of space her hands had available. She never complained though. If it took a minute longer to fix his tie it only meant to be another moment close to him. Sometimes it would be all the alone time they had all day. They both treasured it.

"You didn't care about tradition last night when Emily pointed out that we are not supposed to spent the night before the wedding in the same house."

"Well... some traditions are just dull."

"And you get to decide which ones?"

"Exactly." Sharon said before she pressed a kiss to his mouth. She was sure to be careful as part of her make-up was already applied and she really did not want Emily to have to start all over again. Mainly because her daughter wouldn't let her hear the end of it. She can already imagine Em telling her brothers all about how she had to do their mother's make-up twice because she couldn't keep her hands off her fiancé.

"I'll see you at the church." She whispered against his lips once they broke apart.

"I'll be there." He said as he gave her another quick peck. "... waiting for you."

She watched him walk towards the door. Before he disappeared in the hallway he turned around once more, seeking out her eyes. It was his way of asking - once again - if she was ok, if there were any cold feet, any doubts. The smile he got from her in return answered all his questions. He pulled his lips into a smile as well, turned around again and pulled the door closed behind him.

The moment he was gone Sharon pulled her phone from the pocket of her yoga pants. No missed calls or messages. She sighed.

She had texted Nicole hours ago, asking her if she knew anything new about Daniel. She hoped that he might have reconsidered his choice not to be part of the wedding. Nicole, however, didn't have any news to share. She was trying not to push her brother, to let him decide by himself if he wanted to attend the ceremony or not. Sharon understood that, appreciated it even. It was the right thing to do.

Nicole had promised that she'd inform her the moment she found out anything new about Daniel. But with every passing minute Sharon didn't receive a text or a call from her step-daughter, it was getting more and more unlikely that Daniel was going to show up. The wedding ceremony was only three hours away. He would have to be on the way already to make it in time. It was sad really, but she would not let this put a damper on today's celebration. Andy and Daniel's realtionship was for another day to worry about. She had done what she could to get Daniel to come, now it was his turn to make the next move.

"Mom, we really gotta hurry. We still have to do your hair." Emily's voice pulled Sharon back from her thoughts to reality. Her daughter was standing in the living room, a make up brush in her hand, curlers in her hair.

"I'm coming." She smiled at her oldest child as she walked towards her. "We still have plenty of time, Em."

"Not if you keep dawdling!" Emily was nervous. She wanted the wedding to be perfect, every little detail. On that she and both her brothers had agreed on. Their mom deserved the best! And they would make damn sure that her and Andy's wedding was going to be memorable. They knew neither of them wanted anything big or showy, they wanted simple and meaningful. So that's what they had tried to organize.

Surprisingly Sharon cared very little about all the details of the wedding. She was approaching this marriage with an ease she had not expected to feel. She wasn't worried if the guests would be entertained, if the food would be good or if her dress was beautiful enough. The only thing that was important to her was that she and Andy ended up being husband and wife, that her kids were there and that a priest would bless their union. The rest was insignificant.

Sharon pressed a kiss against the young woman's temple as she passed her to step into the bathroom. "I love you honeybun."

Emily laughed as she followed her mother. "Are you still gonna call me that when I'm 50?"

"Most definitely." Sharon assured and laughed as well.

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Ricky and Rusty walked her down the aisle. She knew Rusty felt uncomfortable with so many people watching them, but despite that he had insisted on doing it. When she asked him and Ricky to lead her to the altar she had given both of them the option to say no but neither of her boys had wanted an out. They were happy to do it. She was so proud of them, of all of her kids.

While proceeding to the altar Sharon let her eyes wander. First to her bridesmaids: Amy, Andrea, Patrice and most importantly Nicole and her precious Emily. Then her gaze settled on the man she was about to marry. His eyes were focused on her only, like there was no one else even in the room with them. All his emotions were visible on his face, it almost overwhelmed her.

Rusty and Ricky both kissed her on the cheek before they metaphorically "handed her over" to Andy, showing him and the guests that they trusted him to make their mother happy and to treat her with the respect she deserved. It was a ritual that was a little old fashioned, especially for a modern, independent person like herself, but Sharon liked how it involved her sons and symbolized that her children accepted and trusted Andy.

Once they reached the altar Andy took her hand, brought it to his lips and breathed a kiss to it. "You look beautiful." He whispered for only her to hear and continued to hold onto her hand throughout the first part of the ceremony.

It was after the sermon that Nicole nudged Sharon and indicated her to look towards the entrance of the church. She did as her step-daughter told her and turned around. And there he was, standing at the back of the church, leaning against a pillar, watching them. Daniel. He came after all.

When Andy noticed Sharon's attention was not on the priest anymore he turned around as well and was more then surprised to spot the one person he was sure would not be here today. His son. His Danny.

His grip on Sharon's hand got stronger the moment he saw the boy. He couldn't quite believe that he was actually there. He had the urge to go to him and hug him but he knew Danny would not appreciate that. Instead he smiled at him, tried hard not to tear up and nodded his head in some sort of silent thank you.

Then he turned back around to face Sharon, the woman who he was sure was responsible for his son's presence, the woman he was about to marry, the woman that he loved. He wondered what the priest would do if he just went ahead and kissed her but before he could implement his sneaky plan the priest asked him to repeat his words. So he did, all the while looking at the beautiful woman in front of him that he adored with every fiber of his being.

They both were overcome by emotions as they exchanged vows and said the words everyone has been waiting to hear: I do. Their guests broke out in cheers and applause. Neither Sharon nor Andy were particularly aware of that. In this very moment they just saw each and heard each other.

Andy wiped away a stray tear that had escaped one if her eyes before he captured her pink lips in a warm, gentle kiss. Her arm went around his neck as she pulled him closer and deepened the kiss for a short moment.

There was a giant smile on both of their faces when they broke apart. It was only now that Sharon noticed that a big choir had gathered behind the priest, singing one of her most favorite songs. It took her another few seconds to realize that it wasn't just any choir. It was the one from her old church, the one she still liked to attend concerts of.

She shook her head in disbelieve, a smile on her lips. "The kids." Ricky had hinted that he and his siblings had some surprises in store for the newlyweds. The choir was one of them.

"They are sneaky." He said as his hand once again curled around hers. "They get it from you."

She laughed and he couldn't help but join in.

"How did you get Danny to come?" He then wanted to know.

"It was his choice."

"Don't lie to your husband." He rebuked her jokingly.

"Okay, I might have suggested Daniel to give you another chance, an actual one this time. The decision to follow my advice was all his."

"You know, if I weren't already married to you I'd marry you right now."

She laughed again. God she couldn't remember to ever have laughed as much as she did since Andy came along. "You know, I'd have said yes."

"That's very good to know." He said. Then his facial expression suddenly changed to a much more serious one. "I love you."

"So do I." She whispered back as he pulled her into a hug.

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"Hi." Andy came to stand next to his son.

"Hey."

"You came."

Danny shrugged. "The work thing was postponed."

"I'm glad." Andy said. "It means a lot to have you here."

"That's what your wife kept telling me."

Hearing Sharon get referred to as his wife made his heart flutter. He had waited a long time for this moment. "She told me she visited you in San Diego."

"She did. Can't believe she still wanted me to attend the wedding after that. I was an ass."

"Sharon knows all about the mistakes I made, she is aware how badly I screwed up back then. She knew you wouldn't welcome her with open arms. She gets it."

"She seems like a good person."

"She is."

"Nic loves her."

Andy smiled. "It's really hard not to. I certainly didn't manage to go for very long until I fell for her."

"When Nicole told me you were seeing someone I was sure it was some young girl you picked up at a bar."

"This time is long over. Thank god."

"I wish you all the best with Sharon." It wasn't easy for him to say but it seemed like the adult thing to do. And it wasn't like he didn't mean it. He wanted his dad to have a good life, he loved him, despite everything that had happened.

"Thanks, son." Andy decided to take a chance and gave him a friendly slap on the shoulder.

Daniel accepted it, though it felt kinda awkward and uncomfortable. Nevertheless, he did not regret coming. Maybe it really was time to leave the past behind and start over.

* * *

Andy groaned as he settled on the ground. "We'll probably have to spend the night here. I don't think I'll be able to get up again."

"We paid 1000$ for our room, you'll get up from here even if we have to lift you with a crane." She sat down on the grass next to him, her knees making a cracking sound in protest.

"Are you sure YOU'll be able to get back up?" He teased.

"The crane can lift us both if necessary." She stretched out next to him on the grass, resting her head on his shoulder.

It was past 3am, the wedding celebration had concluded an hour ago. They were both tired, exhausted really, but Andy had wanted to bring her here anyway. Especially because it was such a clear, beautiful night.

"It's magnificent." Sharon said as she looked up into the sky. She hardly ever got to see the stars properly as it was almost impossible to observe the night sky from the balcony of their condo.

She had watched the stars a lot as a kid and later on she regularly took Emily and Ricky. They had stopped going once they were teenagers and interested in anything but going stargazing with their old mother. Sharon hadn't looked up into the night sky ever since. Not consciously at least. It was almost like she had forgotten all about the stars. At least that was until Andy came along. He had made her look up again. He had shown her that the stars were still there, still sparkling.

"I could do this every night." She said. "Lying in the grass, watching the infinity of the night sky... with you."

He pressed a kiss into her hair. "I can't promise you stars every night but I can promise you that I'll be with you. Every night. Every day. For as long as you wanna have me."

Sharon smiled and snuggled even closer into him. "I know."

"Good." He sighed contently and took in the view of the sky above them.

"I enjoyed today very much."

"So did I. Still can't believe Danny actually showed up." His fingers were playing with her hair. "You must have some magical skills. Is there anything that you do not manage to do do?"

She chuckled. "Plenty. But like I already told you, it was Daniel's choice to be part of the wedding. I just gave him a little nudge."

"Thanks for nudging him then." His fingertips had began to gently massage her scalp. He wasn't even fully aware that he was doing it. Sometimes his hands and fingers had their own mind when he was with her. "For the record, I still think you are some kind of witch."

"Yet you married me anyway."

"I had no other choice. You cast a spell over me."

"Well it's your own fault really. You've known from the start on that I'm the wicked witch." She could feel him laugh rather than hear. His torso beneath her was shaking.

Andy sat up a little, cupped the back of her head and pulled her into him. His lips captured hers in a slow, gentle kiss.

"You are my favorite wicked witch." He said once they broke apart again.

She laughed and snuggled into him once more, nuzzling her face into the crock of his neck.  
He buried his hand into her soft, brown locks again, looked back up at the stars and thanked the universe. For being alive. For not dying of a heart attack. For Sharon, for having found her, for loving her and for being loved by her. For being able to experience all of that.

He got a second chance at love and maybe, just maybe, his son would give him a second chance at fatherhood as well.

 **\- the end-**

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 **Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed. The story is over but there are still some things that I kinda wanna say so there might be another chapter in from of an epilogue. Let me know if you are interested :) Have a great weekend! :D**


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